Posted on 02/11/2010 3:27:44 AM PST by Scanian
Idaho's Democrat Senator Frank Church[i] was one of my heroes when I was in high school. Church wrote a letter of recommendation for me to Harvard and offered to nominate me to an appointment to any of the U.S. military academies. In the summer of 1971, he took me to lunch in the dining room of the United States Senate, where, for the first time in my life, I tasted French onion soup[ii].
He asked me if I would like to serve as an intern in his office in Washington, D.C. when I graduated from high school. (It was an offer that I was unable to accept for personal reasons.) In any event, when I a teenager, I thought Frank Church walked on water[iii].
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Excellent article. Read the whole thing, including the footnotes.
Term limits.
Just a few years after being ousted from his position as Tommy two tongues, dem Senator from the state of SD, folks find that their native son, all 5 foot 1 or 2 of him, is a tax cheat, and the author of the original health care debacle now insurance reform debacle that his party is so eager to ram down my throat.
That ain’t all, as he is one of the original Lobbyists, that the one promised not to have in his administration. Tommy was on his way to a cabinet position, until he ran smack dab into truth, and the American way. Why is it that democrats for the most part have staked out the forked tongue faction seemingly all to themselves? why is it the American people are so blind to two faced elected officials?
Republicans are not immune either. What is a RINO if not a politician that speaks out of both sides of the mouf.
Term limits.
A Truth in advertising!
B Voters able to recognize A
A and B equals term limits.
After all, why limit yourself or a candidate. With term limits or any limits, you place yourself in a box, that you will surely regret at some point. Just like the dems were forced in Massachusetts to change election law in regard to the special election. And that, after it had been changed at least once before, because it got in the way of their agenda.
I was just musing. I’ve suffered a disenchantment similar to the article’s author concerning my Congressman because of 2 incidents at 2 different Town Halls, plus an incident in a local 4th of July Parade (at the line-up out of sight and earshot of others). He is generally perceived as very conservative, but I know that he is not. Yet, he is re-elected each cycle. I really wonder what he is doing behind the scenes.
Would that be district 5 and a name starting with James, and the rest of us would like to be in on why those thoughts.
They do what they do because 1)they still retain the reputation of being the little man’s friend, at least in some quarters, and they think that allows them to be slimy and 2)the media covers for them so they feel insulated.
We’ll continue to have the problem until either the alternative media drives the LSM out of business or the LSM learns its very expensive lesson and hires some fair reporters and commentators.
hires some fair reporters and commentators.
I don’t care much for “fair”, as long as the person in question knows how to ask the appropriate questions, that put these folks “ON RECORD”. After listening to most of the questions asked politicians in interviews, one begins to ask oneself, what does that question have to do with anything worth talking about.
Yes.
bump
the rest of us would like to be in on why those thoughts. What you experienced at those town halls etc.
The most important part of my comment.
I have too many experiences to list. AND I recognize that he has been a staunch conservative, or is perceived to be in his district.
I guess my main beef with him is over ANWR drilling. When the Republicans were in charge and had the votes to pass the bill (the Senate had already passed it and Bush would have signed) he singlehandedly refused to allow the bill to explore ANWR for oil to come to the floor.
When I questioned about it at a sparsely attended Town Hall a couple of days later he gave his reasons:
1) ANWR oil would benefit only Japan and CA because there is no pipeline to the Midwest. (Isn’t oil a world commodity? More production of oil in one part of the world lessens demand in other parts of the world.)
2) We should use up other countries’ oil before tapping our own. (Shortsighted and selfish, I’d say.)
3) It would take too long (10 years est.) to produce oil from ANWR. (This discussion occurred in 2005. It is now 2010. We’d be half way there and oil prices would have modulated because OPEC would fear their influence on prices was comeng to an end.)
I dare say that NO-ONE in this district (except those I’ve told and the 3 other citizens at the TH meeting) knows his position on domestic oil production. Nobody believes me, either.
Plus, he’s a big spender of our money for himself. He’s racked up some of the largest travel bills in Congress for junkets for himself and his wife. He claims to despise “Queen” Pelosi and derides her in speeches to his constituency, yet he accompanied her to Copenhagen. That was more money down the drain. For what purpose?
That junket was comprised of people SHE INVITED. If he hates her so much, how did he get on the list, out of all the members of Congress?
I could go on, but he’s still better than anyone the Dems have ever put up.
His position on domestic oil voices nothing more than dem talking points. He would be instantly off my list, except for the this:”I could go on, but he’s still better than anyone the Dems have ever put up”.
Those are the very ones the Tea Party folks are attempting to root out, and replace with true, HONEST, conservatives. It probably is not going to happen all at once. Although the move and dynamics are looking good at the moment.
Then there was another time that I attended a larger Town Hall during Easter Break. 6 year old Elian Gonzalez had been kidnapped out of his home at machine gunpoint by Janet Reno’s thugs the previous week, and I (shaking in my shoes) went to his Town Hall and held up a poster I had made with the infamous picture of the incident taken by the Time Magazine report and gave a little speech about it. Much to my surprise, I received a standing ovation from my neighbors (none of whom I knew at the tiem). I pleaded with him (as head of the Justice Committee at the time) to convene a hearing on Janet Reno’s actions.
He then launched into a tirade about the PICTURE (not the act). He promised to convene the hearing as soon as he got back to DC, but he never did anything about it. I confronted him 6 mos. later at a Lincoln Day dinner and asked him about when the hearing was going to be convened, shoving a handful of articles into his hands as he rushed out the door. I’ve never received an answer from him.
There’s more, but until the Republicans (or the Tea Party) launch a credible opponent, it’s pointless.
Thanks, it sounds like this guy should have been gone long ago.
*Frank Church ping*
Thanks DJ.
Frank Church as the article points out, was a creation largely of the Idaho Statesman (Terry Dolan of NCPAC referred to the IS as the Pravda of the West) and the other leftist/liberal Idaho media outlets. I couldn’t help but think of Birch Bayh, John Culver, and George McGovern in their quests for re-election in 1980, because they were all flaming crackpot liberals masquerading as “moderates.” And each and every one of them were given cover by their respective state and local leftist media.
This is another reason why the left is in such a state of panic, because they have lost their media monopoly, and hence their ability to protect lunatic leftwing politicians in deep red states such as Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, and South Dakota.
Just out of curiousity, I know it’s early but... what’s your big GOP upset victory for the 2010 Senatorial races?
I was going to say Evan Bayh, but once again, the Stupid (and Cowardly) Party struck again, and Pence refused to run and followed by Sec of State Todd Rokita, who is running for Steve Buyer’s safe House seat, and instead we have weaklings John Hostettler (who was obliterated in his ‘06 reelection and always underperformed in his district) and Dan Coats, who infamously ran away rather than face Bayh in 1998. Coats is too old and hasn’t run a race in 18 years. Pence ought to be grabbed by the neck and kicked into the race as he was leading Bayh in the polls.
A lot depends on the November climate, of course, it may even be possible to take out Feingold, Murray or Boxer, but the challengers have yet to distinguish themselves.
I’d also add one other big surprise, and that being Robert Byrd. Byrd may die this year and if he does, the Dem Governor will appoint a seatwarmer whom will likely be weak, and I’d expect someone like Shelley Moore Capito to run (and if she does, she’ll win). WV has the distinction of being the state that has gone the longest without electing a GOP Senator, not since 1956 (for a 2-year vacancy). We went into the 1958 elections holding both seats in the state (Cecil Underwood appointed the other), but we lost both to Jennings Randolph and then-Congressman Byrd. The two men in HI are also potential deaths as well, since BOTH turn 85 this year, and the GOP Governor, to my knowledge, can appoint their successors until a special election is called.
Thanks for posting it in the editorial sidebar of News/Activism.
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